


Our House Our Family

by sunnflowers



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Anxiety Disorder, Gen, Sister-Sister Relationship, behavioral disorder, single parent
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-01
Updated: 2017-03-12
Packaged: 2018-07-28 13:32:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7642600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunnflowers/pseuds/sunnflowers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jasper and Amethyst are half sisters with an unbreakable bond. They may be very different, Amethyst facing a life where she feels displaced and anxious, Jasper facing a life where she feels angry and attacked, but it is their life. And they are determined to make it through.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The room was dark, but the shadows from the window dancing on the floor still bothered her. She closed her eyes tightly and tried to just breathe. “I can do this. Just breathe like a normal person. There’s nothing to worry about I’m just in my room.” Amethyst tried to talk herself down from the impending panic attack, but she knew it wasn’t working. Her brain was on overload and she couldn’t come up with anything calming to think about. 

She got out of her bed and started pacing. She glanced at the clock and saw it was around two in the morning. _Dad’s not back from work. But Jasper’s here._ Amethyst paced her room over and over, she was terrified that her panic attack was only going to get worse. Nothing was helping, but she wasn’t sure what to do. _Maybe I should wake up Jasper._

Jasper was Amethyst’s older sister, well, half-sister. They lived with their father and had for as long as Amethyst could remember. Jasper’s mother died when Jasper was very little. Amethyst’s mother left before Amethyst’s first birthday. It wasn’t a bad life they lived, it was more chaotic. Their father worked nightshifts, so he didn’t see his daughters very much during the week. 

When the two were young, Amethyst and Jasper were incredibly close. They spent most of their time together, often not bothering to make other friends. When Jasper switched to high school and left Amethyst behind, the two began to grow apart. And now that the two were in college, they had acquired their own social circles. But as different as they were, they were surprisingly close. 

Amethyst knocked on the door before pushing it open, even though she knew her sister wouldn’t hear her. Jasper could sleep through a hurricane, but she was easy to wake, if you knew how. Amethyst entered the room and began to pace Jasper’s floor. “Jasp?” she whispered. She knew they were the only ones in the house but the hour still made her feel like she needed to be quiet. “Jaaaasssp! Jassssppppppp! JASPER!” she hissed. Jasper groaned as she sat up. 

“Huh? Oh, hey runt. What are you doing up so late?” She picked up her phone to check the time. “And why are you waking me up at this hour?” Amethyst just stood in the middle of the room staring at her sister. “Come on runt, what do you want?” When Jasper turned on the light, she finally saw what was going on. “Ammy,” she said in a much softer voice. “It’s alright, come here.” She got up and wrapped her sister in her arms. Jasper could feel Amethyst shaking as she pulled her into the double bed. 

Amethyst had been having panic attacks since she was a preteen. She usually tried to hide them from her sister, but sometimes, she couldn’t help it. If Amethyst couldn’t talk herself down, the only other person who could do it was Jasper. “I’m here Amethyst, and dad’s gonna be home soon. Everything is alright, just breathe okay?” Amethyst could feel Jasper’s slow steady breaths and it helped her focus her own breathing. She tried to just listen to her sister’s voice as she matched her breathing to Jasper’s.

“Do you remember that summer after you learned to swim? Dad took us to the beach with Mala and their parents? You were so excited to be in water that wasn’t a pool. Dad let us jump off the dock and you wanted to show everyone that you weren’t afraid of the water.” Jasper tightened her grip around Amethyst. “You even told Mala you’d hold their hand while you jumped after you found out they were scared. And we made sand castles with those kids we met! You, me and Mala built such a great castle. Dad took pictures, I think they’re in the photo album. And we got ice cream before we came back home.” 

“It was the first time I had pistachio ice cream,” Amethyst said slowly as she turned to look at her sister. “You dared me to get it because it was green.” Jasper smiled back at her. 

“Yea, but I knew you’d like it. And you did, now it’s your favorite.” 

“Yea, you’re right.” Amethyst sighed as she wiggled out of her sister’s grasp. “Thanks, Jasp. I’m sorry I woke you up.” 

“No worries runt.” Jasper twisted her sister’s hair out of her own face. “Why are you awake at this time of night?” Amethyst pulled her head away from Jasper’s grasp.

“Stop!” Jasper stopped playing with Amethyst’s hair and waited for her to answer. “I was thinking.” 

Jasper raised her eyebrow as she spoke, “thinking about what?” 

“I was thinking about the house.” Jasper broke eye contact with Amethyst and the two were silent for a moment. 

“2 am is for sleeping Am, not worrying about things you can’t do anything about at 2 am!” 

“I know! But … I can’t help it.”

“Shhh. It’s fine. We’ve got this. Dad’s making almost enough to cover it, and we can cover the rest, right? Between the two of us we make plenty to pay for tuition and the bills.” Jasper squeezed her sister’s hand. “Besides, I’ve got a bunch saved too. We’ll be okay.” Amethyst trusted Jasper. She knew if they were really bad off, she would be honest with her. “Wanna spend the night here?” Amethyst stole Jasper’s favorite pillow in reply. “Fine runt, for tonight you can have it. Night.”


	2. Chapter 2

Amethyst woke to the sun shining brightly through her sister’s window. “Ugh, Jasp, how do you sleep through this?” She looked over at her sleeping sister and rolled her eyes _Right, sleeps through anything._ She got up to head to her own room closing the door gently as she left. She noticed the note on Jasper’s whiteboard and smiled. _Thanks for holding down the fort Pumpkin. Wake me before you two head out for the night._ As she entered her own room, Amethyst checked her whiteboard. _Rough night Sweet Potato? No matter where you are, you’ll always have an end of shift kiss. Wake me before you two head out for the night._ Amethyst sighed before climbing into her own bed. 

Pumpkin and Sweet Potato, her dad had been calling her and Jasper that since they were little. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She had a great family, even if her mom didn’t want to be a part of it. Jasper was the best sister anyone could ask for, and her dad did his best, loving both his daughters despite their tendency to sometimes be reckless and hotheaded. Amethyst thought he must have the patience of a saint to deal with them. Every morning when he came home from his shift, he gave each of them a kiss and left a note on their whiteboard. 

The nightshifts didn’t start until Jasper was in high school. For a while, they had someone who rented a room from them, Rose. Rose kept to herself, but she acted as the adult in the house when their dad was off at work. She didn’t interfere much with whatever Jasper and Amethyst were doing. After all, Jasper was in high school and Amethyst was almost done with middle school. They were usually well behaved children, even if Rose didn’t agree with how the house was run. She respected their privacy as a family and usually stayed out of it. 

Amethyst had found Rose irritating at first. She was overly sweet and friendly. But after a while, they all learned to live together. The girls tried to be quite at night when Rose was sleeping, and Rose tried to reprimand them less regarding their fighting. Amethyst even remembers a particularly bad day where Rose tried to cheer them up. Jasper had been beaten by Garnet for the one freshman spot on the varsity basketball team and Amethyst had failed a math test she had put a lot of effort into studying for. Rose had overheard the girls talking to their father over dinner. She slipped out and bought them each their favorite ice cream, pistachio for Amethyst, and triple chocolate brownie for Jasper. Once their father left for work, Rose invited them to watch movies and eat ice cream. 

After Jasper turned 18, Rose moved out and the two were left home when their father was at work. They didn’t always get along, but they managed not to kill each other or burn down the house. Now that they were part time college students, Jasper and Amethyst worked to help their dad with bills. 

\---

Amethyst awoke to Jasper bouncing on her bed. “Wake up runt! Come on!!!” On instinct, Amethyst grabbed Jasper’s arm and threw her off the bed. Jasper hit the floor hard, but stood with a sly grin. “That’s how you wanna play?” Jasper was 5’9” towering over her sister by half a foot. She was also a wall of muscle. Amethyst in contrast had a soft, pliable body, even though she was equally as strong as her sister. 

“Jasper stop!” Amethyst whined. “We’re gonna break my bed again.” 

“Should have thought of that when you threw me on the floor!” Jasper pulled Amethyst out of bed and held her in a headlock. “Are we done here?” 

“Like hell,” Amethyst replied. She managed to twist herself out of her sister’s hold and use her short status to sweep one of her legs. As Jasper fell, Amethyst took off to the kitchen. 

Jasper walked into the kitchen ten minutes later braiding her hair. Both sisters had long thick hair that reached the lower part of their back. While they had kept it in multiple styles, they each decided they liked it super long. It was a lot of work, but it was worth it. It helped them feel connected to the rest of their dad’s family, even though they weren’t always welcomed by all their cousins or aunts and uncles. They also had fond memories of bonding over their hair. Their dad would brush and style it for them when they were young, and once they got older, they would often sit and style it for each other. For special occasions, they would produce more elaborate styles. Each sister did something special for the other when they graduated. It was an important source of bonding for them. 

“Cheap shot runt,” Jasper said as she sat at the kitchen table. 

“You could have just woken me like a normal person,” Amethyst snapped. Amethyst was busy making breakfast and didn’t bother to look over her shoulder as she answered her sister. “Eggs and cheese with or without pork?” 

“With.” 

“Toast or those muffin things?”

“Toast.” 

“Coming up princess.” Jasper stood up and started loading the dishes into the dish washer as Amethyst made breakfast. It was nice when they got to spend time together. Most mornings they had opposite schedules and didn’t have much time to talk, but Fridays neither had classes and they both had to work. Once she finished the dishes, Jasper poured two glasses of orange juice and sat back down just as Amethyst placed the food on the table. 

“Mama’s sister was complaining about us again,” Jasper said with a mouth full of food. 

“She’s your aunt, Jasp.”

“I know. Anyway, I guess her daughter …”

“Your cousin!” Amethyst interrupted. Jasper just glared. 

“Her _daughter_ didn’t get into The Academy. I overheard her saying she couldn’t understand why they would ever take girls like us when they could have a girl like her daughter. She said we must have gotten in because of our dad.” Amethyst stared at her food for a moment before responding. 

“They’re your family, Jasp. I mean, if I knew my family I’d at least try to have a relationship with them.” 

“They’re not my family, Am. Did you hear what I just said? Do you listen to how they talk about Dad? How they talk about _you_? If they were family, they wouldn’t treat me like that. If they won’t claim Dad or you, they don’t get to claim me either.” 

This wasn’t the first time their acceptance into The Academy had been questioned. Amethyst remembers Jasper asking their dad about it one night at dinner after overhearing a similar comment. Jasper was hesitant to bring it up, but she wanted to know. 

“Hey Dad?”

“Yes Pumpkin?” 

“Why do I have a full scholarship to The Academy?” Their father put down his fork and looked at the girls. 

“Because you’re incredibly intelligent and they wanted to have you at their school.” 

“Well yea, I know but …” Jasper trailed off. She knew her father was telling her the truth, she just wondered if it was the whole truth. 

“I’ve got one too, right? I mean, once I finish 8th grade?” Amethyst spoke up. 

“Yes, you do. Both of you scored in the top 5% on the standard tests given in 4th, 5th and 6th grade. The Academy offered both of you full scholarships because of it.” He looked at Amethyst, sensing there was more to her comment. 

“They wanted us because we’re minorities didn’t they,” the smaller girl said quietly. Their father looked at them and sighed. 

“More than likely,” he said. “Girls, I want you to listen carefully. We don’t all start off equal in this country. Some people have advantages that others don’t get to have. And while you may not have advantages due to your ethnicity or gender, you girls were born with incredible intelligence. The Academy’s policy is to give full scholarships to any girls scoring in the top 5%, but I’m sure it didn’t go unnoticed that you were minorities. 

“For the rest of your life, you are going to be given “opportunities” just because you are a minority. I want you both to hold your heads high and take those opportunities, if you want them. But do it with your eyes open. Make sure you know that you are being chosen not only because you are smart and deserving, but also because you’re a minority. Don’t be ashamed of this. Because they can’t change that part of you. If they want your intelligence, they have to take your gender and your ethnicity with it. They’re a package. And unfortunately, for every door that is opened by those parts of you that you can’t change, there were several that closed for the same reason. Every time you do something incredible, make them think how much more incredible you could have been if you were given the same chance as someone else. 

“Amethyst, when you’re awarded your belt next month, make them think to themselves, ‘Wow, how fast would she have received this if we didn’t force her to retest twice as many times as the boys in her class?’ Jasper, when you finish out the season as the highest scoring player on your team, make them think, ‘How many points would she have scored if we didn’t underestimate her and bench her at the start of the season?’ Because, you two are amazing despite all the ways the world tries to hold you back. Be proud of who you are and all that you accomplish. Because you earn everything you get, including those scholarships.” 

Amethyst and Jasper nodded solemnly as their father finished speaking.


	3. Chapter 3

Amethyst went back to eating her food. “I just meant … never mind.” Jasper looked over at her sister and immediately felt terrible. She knew Amethyst was sensitive about not knowing the people on her mom’s side of the family, but Jasper was protective of her family heritage and she hated how her mother’s side of the family treated her. 

“I’m sorry, Am. They are family, but more importantly, _you’re_ family. They don’t get to talk down to you or to Dad. I’m not giving you up so I can be accepted by them.” Jasper knew these conversations stressed Amethyst out, so she changed the subject. “Where are you working tonight?” 

“Bouncer for the back door,” Amethyst said. “How about you?” Jasper chewed thoughtfully, trying to remember her assignment. 

“Maybe front door bouncer? Or entertainment set up, I don’t even know.” They finished up breakfast and wandered into the living room. Jasper stopped in the doorway and looked at her sister. “If I go shower will you do my hair?” Amethyst looked at the clock, they had gotten up late, but they still had plenty of time. 

“Of course.” 

Half an hour later, Jasper was sitting on the floor while Amethyst sat on the couch, diligently working on her sister’s hair while they watched TV. Of the two of them, Jasper’s hair always looked the best. Amethyst thought it was because her sister was so tall, but more than likely it was because Amethyst hated the process of having her hair done. She didn’t like sitting still for such a long time and it always required a decent combing out. 

“What cha doin to it?” Jasper asked, curious as to why Amethyst was taking so long sectioning her hair. 

“Since when do you question me when it comes to your hair?” Amethyst laughed. It was true, Jasper had been letting Amethyst do whatever she wanted to her hair for a long time and she always loved how it came out. 

“I wasn’t question you, runt! I was just asking what you were doing. Don’t forget I might be working as front bouncer today …” Jasper trailed off, but Amethyst knew what she meant. Jasper’s height and build made for an interesting intimidation factor, no need to add anything to scare the patrons. 

“I know, it’s gonna look fine. Now stop moving.” When Amethyst finished, Jasper’s hair had been elegantly sectioned into an intricate pattern and left in twists. Jasper went to the hallway to look in the mirror. 

“Wow runt, you got carried away today.” 

“What? You don’t like it?” Amethyst showed up behind Jasper, biting her lip anxiously. Jasper smiled at her sister.

“Nah, I love it. I always love when you do my hair. The only rival you have is Dad.” Amethyst laughed. 

“Alright, I’m gonna shower.”

“Want me to do your hair?” 

“Sure, but …”

“You want it tight back with braids like a flail.” Amethyst frowned at Jasper for interrupting her. 

“… Yes.” Amethyst stomped off to shower while Jasper went to get dressed for work. 

 

When they were finally both ready for work, Jasper knocked on their father’s door. The two girls waited in the living room for him. 

“Hey ladies!” Their father entered the room and kissed the top of Jasper’s head before crossing the room and sitting in the armchair closest to Amethyst. 

“Hi Dad, how was work?” Amethyst asked.

“It was fine. How are you two doing?” he said with an ‘I know something’s wrong’ tone.

“We’re fine, Dad!” Jasper said as she pulled out her phone. 

“That true, Sweet Potato?”

“Yea Dad, you know Jasp always takes good care of me.” He smiled at his daughters.

“Of course, and you take good care of her. Both of you working tonight?” 

“Yup,” Amethyst replied. 

“Shit. Runt, I’ve got setup tonight. We have to head out now,” Jasper groaned while staring at her phone. They both stood and grabbed their bags. 

“Have a good night at work Dad,” Jasper said as she kissed him goodbye.

“Be safe,” he said as they left. 

\---

The two girls showed up at the casino just in time for Jasper to start her shift. She wandered off to the performance space to wait for that night’s performer’s crew to arrive. Amethyst stopped at the bar to grab a glass of water before heading to the back patio. 

“Hey Amethyst,” a voice called from behind the bar as she approached. 

“Oh, hey Lazuli.”

“Your sister around?” Amethyst joined Lazuli behind the counter and started filling a glass with ice water. 

“You know that she is. She’s working stage setup tonight. Vee would never put you two on bar together. Not after what happened last time. You’re probably working with Peridot tonight. See ya!” Amethyst left as Lazuli mumbled a goodbye. 

Several hours into her shift, Amethyst was joined by Peridot. She had decided to take her break outside and sit with her favorite member of the so called ‘shorty squad’. “Hey P-dot,” Amethyst greeted her. “What’s up?” Peridot sat next to Amethyst, drinking her soda while observing the patio. A lot of patrons went out there to smoke mostly, but some were sitting enjoying the weather and their drinks. Amethyst’s job as bouncer for the night was to keep track of who came out and who to let back in while ensuring there wasn’t any trouble. She also bussed the patio tables of abandoned and empty drinks. It was a pretty easy job, unless someone wanted to cause problems, then it could get … difficult. 

“Amethyst, have you … err … talked to your sister tonight?” Peridot kept her eyes forward, watching a man in the corner smoking his cigarette. 

“No. I haven’t talked to her since we got here. Why? Is something wrong?”

“She seems,” Peridot paused in an attempt to choose the most appropriate wording, “agitated. Lazuli too. Is something going on with them again?” Amethyst hoped to herself that there wasn’t. 

“I dunno. But thanks for the heads up.” 

“No problem,” Peridot said as she got up and strolled back inside. 

An hour later, Jasper came out to the patio. She purposefully picked a seat at the table farthest away from Amethyst’s desk at the door. She knew her sister was watching her, but she didn’t care as long as she was left alone. Amethyst eyed her as she pulled out a pack of cigarettes and started to smoke. It was incredibly rare that Jasper smoked, Amethyst had a feeling something was wrong. She got up from her desk and walked casually towards her sister, still keeping a fair distance. When Jasper looked up, Amethyst mouthed ‘are you okay?’. Jasper gave a slow but clear nod before turning away. 

Amethyst didn’t need anything more and she went back to her desk. It was obvious Jasper was not okay, but it was equally clear she didn’t want to talk about it. Amethyst wasn’t going to get into it with her now. They were at work, they could talk about it when they were home. She watched as Jasper finished her cigarette and went back inside, without making eye contact. 

Jasper was silent on their drive home. Amethyst pulled into the driveway and watched as her sister bolted out of the car and into the house. Amethyst turned off the ignition and stared out the windshield. She hated when Jasper got like this, moody, quiet. It was usually the sign of bad things to come. Amethyst always felt bad that she couldn’t be there for her sister when she was upset. But Jasper closed herself off whenever she wasn’t feeling okay. 

Amethyst entered the house and headed upstairs to her bedroom. It was late and she figured she should get some sleep. She changed out of her work clothes and threw on her favorite tank top with shorts and sat on her bed. Slowly, she began to work the braids out of her hair. She planned to brush it before she went to sleep as it would be easier than waiting. She could hear Jasper’s television turned up to drown out her own voice. She liked her illusion of privacy when she was talking to other people. But just as Amethyst was about to close her eyes, she heard Jasper’s voice loudly over the television. 

Amethyst sat up in the darkness of her room, listening carefully. Even though she couldn’t hear the words, Amethyst could tell by her tone Jasper was angry. It sounded like a conversation, she was talking to someone else and then it stopped. Then, she heard Jasper scream. It was a sound Amethyst could never really explain. She sounded frustrated and angry, but it made Amethyst’s heart sink whenever she heard it. She ran to her sister’s room and banged on the door. “JASPER!?” But she didn’t answer. “Jasper open the damn door! I just want you to tell me you’re okay.” Amethyst was pretty sure she wasn’t okay. She could hear her sister yelling and knocking things over. “Open the door Jasper, or I’m coming in.” Amethyst tried the door once more before heading back to her room to find the key. 

Amethyst finally got Jasper’s door open and grabbed her by the arm. Jasper pulled away, determined to get out of her sister’s grip. 

“Leave me alone! Just leave, get out!” Jasper shouted as Amethyst tried to hold on to Jasper’s wrist. 

“Jasper, just calm down will you? You’re gonna hurt yourself!” It didn’t matter, as Jasper ripped herself away from Amethyst’s grip, she cut her arm on the corner of the dresser. Amethyst used that moment to pin her sister to the floor. “Please Jasper, it’s really late! The neighbors are gonna call the police again. Do you remember how bad it was last time?”


	4. Chapter 4

Jasper was about 16 when the neighbors called the police regarding a disturbance at their house. Amethyst and Rose had both heard Jasper screaming in her room. Amethyst eventually picked the lock and closed and locked the door behind her, assuring Rose everything would be fine. It took her a half hour and serious bodily damage, but Amethyst got Jasper to calm down. As they were sitting in the middle of Jasper’s room, Rose knocked on the door. 

“Amethyst? Jasper? Uhmm, could you open the door please? The police are here and they need to check that everything is okay.” Amethyst froze, every terrible thought of what the police might do to them running through her head. But it was enough to snap Jasper out of it. Her eyes scanned the damage to her room as she tried to think of an excuse. 

“Sure, uhmm, just give me a minute?” She put her mouth next to Amethyst’s ear and whispered to her. “I’m so sorry Ammy. Everything is gonna be okay, just listen to me. We need to fix ourselves up and just calmly answer whatever questions they have. Let me pull back your hair okay?” Amethyst nodded mutely while Jasper found a hair tie. “Go open the door,” she instructed her sister as she tied up her own hair. Amethyst was greeted by two officers and Rose. They sat in the living room while one officer talked to Rose in the kitchen. The female office stayed with Jasper and Amethyst. 

“It seems like you two were very loud. Your neighbor called us because she was concerned something was wrong. Can you tell me what was going on before we showed up?” She seemed well meaning, but Amethyst was focusing all her energy on not vomiting or passing out. Jasper noticed her sister was struggling and pulled her into a hug. 

“It was me,” she said to the officer. “I’m sorry. I got out of control and Amethyst was trying to calm me down.” The officer took a few steps away from the girls. 

“You’re Jasper, right?” Jasper nodded. “Does Amethyst have anxiety?” 

“Yes.” Jasper looked down at her sister. “She’s worried about what’s going to happen to us.”

“Tell your sister that everything is okay. I just want to talk to you two. I’ll give you guys a minute.” The officer walked into the kitchen, leaving the two girls alone. Jasper buried her head into Amethyst’s shoulder and spoke softly to her sister.

“It’s okay Am, she said everything would be fine. We just have to show them that we’re fine and they’ll leave us alone.” After a few minutes, Amethyst had calmed down slightly and the office came back into the room. 

“So, Amethyst, right?” The smaller girl nodded while avoiding eye contact. “Your sister says you were trying to calm her down, is that right?” Another nod. “Can you tell me what happened?” 

“It was a bad day at school,” Amethyst said reaching for Jasper’s hand. “We talked about it at dinner and Jasp said she was fine, but she wasn’t. She just got upset, that’s all. I went into her room to help her calm down. Then you showed up.” Jasper’s face had turned red as Rose and the second officer came into the room. 

“Are you girls seeing a therapist?” This time Jasper nodded. 

“I go Mondays at 3:30, Am goes Wednesdays at 3.” 

“And who is Rose?” 

“She’s our legal adult while Dad’s at work. There’s paperwork in the kitchen,” Jasper replied. 

“Thank you, girls.” The officers walked out to the porch with Rose. “You know, we would have called child services normally, they look pretty bad. But you have all the documentation and since they already have a therapist and a social worker then there’s no need.” 

“Yes. Sometimes they have tough moments, but they work through them. The girls are really quite sweet. And they deeply care about each other.” 

“Yes, well. Have a good night.” 

\---

“Please Jasp! Come on, calm down. It’s okay, it’s gonna be okay.” Amethyst held her sister until she had worn herself out flailing and trying to break free from Amethyst’s submission hold. After she let Jasper up, Amethyst went to retrieve supplies to clean Jasper’s ripped up arm. Jasper sat up against her bed, feeling ashamed. She knew she had physically hurt Amethyst while her sister tried to get her to calm down. She also knew she shouldn’t be doing this, that she shouldn’t be so out of control. But when it happens, she can’t control it. The obvious answer is to stay away from things that trigger her, but that wasn’t always possible either. 

Amethyst returned and patched up Jasper’s arm in silence, she then helped Jasper stand up. “Come on, we’re sleeping in my room,” she said gently as she led Jasper out of her bedroom. Amethyst wrapped her blanket tightly around the two of them, holding Jasper close. “It’s okay,” Amethyst said. “We’re both fine. I’m proud of you for keeping it together at work.” They were silent for a long time before Jasper finally spoke. 

“I’m sorry, Ammy.”

“It’s okay. Was it Lazuli?” Jasper nodded. 

“She called me wanting to talk. Things started out alright, but …” Jasper stopped, trying to figure out what happened. “She knows what I’m like, Am. She knows me and she still talks to me. I don’t have to worry about what she’ll think if I tell her the truth. She makes me feel stronger, more solid when I’m with her. It’s really comforting sometimes, but … we’re so bad together. She knows exactly what to say and do to set me off and she uses it against me. When I don’t do what she wants, she can just say one sentence and I’ve completely lost it. Then she uses that to invalidate everything I’ve said. She tells me that I’m unstable and that’s why she should make the decisions.” Jasper pulled away from her sister in favor of rolling over to face her. She couldn’t see much in the dark room, but she felt better looking at her. 

“I’m not any better. I use her for emotional stability, which isn’t fair. And when I’m having a bad day, I blame her. I LIKE that she needs me around for validation. I like that she wants me to stay, even if it is to control me.” Jasper buried her head in the pillow and groaned. “I’m such a mess, Am, such a damn mess.” Amethyst gave her sister another hug. 

“You aren’t a mess, Jasp. It was a rough night, but you made it through. And it’s so much better than when you and Lazuli started dating right? You couldn’t see how bad she was for you, or you for her. But you see it now, which is great.” 

“But I still want to BE with her.” 

“I know. But it’s getting better. It’s so much better. Sometimes, you have tough days, and you want her because she makes you feel better. I get it. But think of all the times you’ve have tough days and you haven’t gone to her. You’re working through it and you’re doing great.” They were silent for a moment as Jasper thought about what Amethyst said. 

“How are you doing?” Jasper asked her sister quietly. “I mean, I know whenever I lose it like that, it bothers you. And I hurt you. I … I really appreciate that you’re around, even if I don’t seem like I do.” 

“I know and I’m okay. It makes me a little anxious, but I guess I’m too worried about you to notice it much. I want you to be okay, you’re my sister, Jasper. You and dad are kind of the only close family I’ve got.” Jasper just laughed. 

“Dad’s side of the family loves you, Am, but they can’t replace me.” Jasper kissed the top of Amethyst’s head. “I love you, runt. Thanks for always taking care of me.” Amethyst yawned in response.

\---

Jasper stared at the ceiling while she listened to her sister’s breathing. It was quiet and comforting. Jasper really did love her sister. There were so many times in life things probably wouldn’t have worked out without Amethyst around. She was lucky to have someone who understood her and accepted her the way Amethyst did. 

Jasper heard a soft knock on the door before it opened slowly. Her father slowly made his way to the bed. “Hi Dad,” Jasper said quietly. She sat up on the bed carefully, as not to wake Amethyst.

“Hi Pumpkin,” her father whispered. He took a seat at Amethyst’s desk chair. “Your arm and your room suggests it wasn’t a great night for you.” 

“No. Got into a fight with Lazuli on the phone. The night was already shot before we started talking. I shouldn’t have let her call me. I was inevitably going to lose it.” 

“What happened?” Jasper sighed as she tried to decide if she wanted to talk to her father about it or not.

“I worked setup today. I just got a lot of comments from the performer’s crew. Comments on how I couldn’t possibly be qualified for my job because my boobs are too big. Some about how they didn’t want me touching anything because it was all too heavy for a girl like me. Some inappropriate comments about my ass. And then, once I started moving things, I heard comments about how I’m too strong to be a real girl, I must be …” Jasper stopped to brush the tears from her eyes. She took a deep breath before speaking again. “It’s getting old, Dad. I’m tired of it. It’s tiring to constantly hear the same bullshit.” Jasper’s father leaned over to hug her. She stood to meet him and sat on the floor, resting her head on his knee. “It’s getting to be so hard, Dad.” 

“Shh, I know Pumpkin. I’m so sorry tonight was such a bad night for you. You don’t deserve any of this. You’re perfect how you are, Jasper. You’re beautiful and strong and that is a perfect combination.” Jasper tried to smile. “What happened with Lazuli?” 

“I don’t even know.” She paused to think how their conversation turned so terrible. “She had a bad day and was upset I didn’t pay attention to her at work. She started in on how I’m selfish and whatever and I told her that it was amusing coming from someone as self-serving as she is. She got angry and started telling me she doesn’t know why she even talks to me. Then I got mad and told her she was pathetic and weak. Then … I dunno. I can’t remember the rest.” Jasper’s father ran his hand through her hair gently. 

“Jasper, you said some pretty harsh things to her.” 

“I know.” 

“You both have parts of you that are fragile. And every time you fight, you go straight for those parts of each other. It’s almost impossible to have a good relationship with someone when you know they are just waiting for the moment they can use your faults and weaknesses against you. You can’t trust each other.” 

“I know, Dad. She’s so difficult to deal with! But, I know I’m equally part of the problem.” Jasper sighed.

“How’d you end up in Amethyst’s room?” he asked. 

“I don’t remember much. She came into my room and I tried to get her to leave. At some point, she pinned to the floor I guess. I just remember her letting me up and saying ‘It’s gonna be okay’. I think I hurt her, I feel terrible, Dad.” Jasper sat up and rested her head on her father’s shoulder. He held her while he rubbed her back. 

“It’s alright, Pumpkin. Amethyst knows you’d never hurt her on purpose and she can hold her own. If she went into your room to try to calm you down, she knew she would be alright. Was she able to help at all?” 

“She bandaged my arm.” Jasper smiled, “and we talked for a bit before she fell asleep.” Jasper glanced over at Amethyst, asleep. “She’s really the best sister anyone could ask for.”

“You girls are always taking care of each other. And I’m really happy to see it. I love you, Pumpkin,” he said as he kissed her head. He gave Amethyst a kiss, “good night, Jasper. Get some sleep.”


	5. Chapter 5

Jasper laid in Amethyst’s room for a while. Amethyst preferred to sleep in total darkness, so her room was fitted with blackout curtains, making it much darker than Jasper’s room normally was. Jasper like to see the streetlights in the distance and the stars out her window. She also didn’t mind the sunlight, often enjoying sleeping while the sun streamed into her room. Her dad had once told her she looked like a house cat napping in the sun. When Jasper realized she wasn’t going to fall asleep, she decided to head back to her own room. 

She opened her door and turned on the light, preparing herself for whatever disaster she would find. Her room looked like it had been used to cage a wild animal, the desk chair had been turned over, everything had been swept off the top of the desk and both dressers, and there was blood on the corner of the drawer she had caught her arm on. Jasper sighed as she closed her door quietly, determining where to start. The floor was carpeted, which luckily saved several things from a shattered demise. Unfortunately, Jasper came across something that wasn’t so lucky. A ceramic figure lay broken on the floor near the dresser. She gently picked it up and searched the room for the rest of the pieces. Their locations suggested it was knocked to the floor before being kicked across the room. She knelt with the pieces in front of her, trying to ensure she had all of them. 

The figure had once depicted two young girls, the taller one reaching into a cookie jar on a shelf while the shorter one held a cookie. Jasper was close to tears. She wasn’t even sure where the figurine had been in her room. It was important enough to her she was sure to place it somewhere it wouldn’t be damaged during an unforeseen meltdown. Then she remembered, she had taken it down from the shelf several days ago when she was feeling particularly sad. Amethyst had picked the figurine out for Jasper’s 8th birthday. Amethyst had told her sister it reminded her of them. “You’re the big kid always looking out for me!” She said when Jasper had opened the present. “And you always give me the first cookie from the jar.” 

Jasper placed all of the pieces carefully on her desk before up-righting the chair. She rummaged through a drawer to find glue and turned on her desk lamp. Gathering each of the pieces, she tried to fit them together, to find their spots before using the glue, but she realized her fingers were too big to fit them together correctly. Heart broken, Jasper curled up on her bed and began to cry. The day had been terrible. She lost all motivation to clean up her room and instead she buried her head in her favorite pillow, hoping to slip into a dreamless sleep. 

 

Jasper woke feeling drained. She hadn’t slept well and overall she was unhappy. She usually enjoyed Saturdays. She could sleep in, her work shift started late, and both Amethyst and her dad were usually home. But today, Jasper had a feeling she was going to need some time away from her house. Dodging the mess still on her floor, Jasper changed and stuffed some things in her gym bag before leaving her room. She left a note on her white board saying she’d be back for dinner and headed out. 

\---

Jasper dove into the water and everything was better for that moment. The way the water drowned out all the other noise and the way she was almost unaware of her physical self, is what made Jasper adore swimming. She didn’t consider herself a swimmer. She wasn’t built with the long lean muscles required to lower your drag, but she still loved to swim. She would often go to the gym and swim laps to help clear her mind. She found it to be calming and today was no different. Lap after lap, Jasper pushed through for just shy of an hour before she realized someone was trying to get her attention. She stopped her laps and stood in the shallow end. 

“Hey Garnet,” she said apathetically. Garnet was a friend from high school. It wasn’t that she was unhappy to see her, but that Garnet had a way of reading Jasper. Jasper was never able to hide how she was feeling from Garnet and she wasn’t sure she really wanted to talk about it today. 

“Hi Jasper,” Garnet replied with her usual stoic stare. After a moment, Garnet slid into the lane next to her and started to swim. After forty-five minutes of swimming, Garnet perched herself on the side of the pool. She watched Jasper finish another lap before stopping and staring. “Getting out?” Garnet’s tone sounded less like a question and more like an order, but Jasper gave in and pulled herself from the pool. The two showered and dressed in silence before walking out to the parking lot. As they reached Jasper’s car, Garnet stopped and leaned against the door. It was clear to her that Jasper needed to talk but Jasper just found the gesture irritating. 

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Jasper said angrily. Garnet adjusted her sunglasses before looking towards Jasper. 

“That’s not true,” she replied gently. Jasper truly hated how often Garnet was right about her. But they were friends, she couldn’t hold it against her. At least not for too long. Jasper unlocked the car and put her stuff in the back before getting into the driver’s seat. She waited while Garnet walked around to the other side and got in. Jasper tossed the keys on the dashboard and tipped her head back against the headrest. 

“I accidently broke something really important.” Garnet wrinkled her nose but continued to look out the windshield. 

“Accidently?” 

“Ugh! Fine, it was an unintended consequence of an unfortunate inability to control my temper, okay?!” 

“Important to whom?” Jasper paused. 

“Important to me.” She wasn’t sure if the figurine was important to Amethyst. But she did know it had a mate, another figurine that went with it. Jasper had bought it for Amethyst when her little sister turned 9. 

\---

Jasper blocked Mala as they took a shot. They had been playing basketball at the park for much of the evening and the next point was winner. Amethyst bounced a ball against the wall just on the other side of the courts. There weren’t many children at the park at this time on a week night, so they had an entire court to themselves. Jasper and Mala made full use of it, running up and down, working to get the last shot in. Mala had the ball and they were setting up for a jump shot when Jasper happened to catch sight of Amethyst. She stopped her pursuit and watched as a group of bigger kids took Amethyst’s ball. 

“Hey runt, we’re playing here now.” Amethyst looked down at her shoes as she slowly walked back towards her sister. 

“Two points! I win! I told you I’d beat you today, Jasper. Jasper?” Mala turned around when they realized Jasper wasn’t listening to their victory chant. They stood next to Jasper and watched as Amethyst slowly approached them. 

“Can we go home now?” Amethyst asked her sister softly. Mala looked from Amethyst to the group of kids and within seconds was marching over to them. It took Jasper a moment to realize what was going on, but once she did, she ran after Mala herself. 

“That isn’t your ball!” Mala said before kicking one of the boys in the back of their thigh. The boy went down fast but Mala was ready for the next kid who came charging at them. The girl took a swing but Mala turned and shoved her onto the ground. When Jasper appeared by Mala’s side, the other kids decided it was time to leave. As they ran away, Jasper called after them.

“Next time, leave my sister alone!” She turned to Mala and sighed. “Mala, we can’t go kicking and punching every kid on the playground remember? That’s why we’re always in detention and that’s why we don’t have any friends.” 

“I don’t need friends,” Mala said simply as they shrugged and walked towards their bike. Jasper shook her head before calling towards them. 

“Wait up, Amethyst and I are coming too.” Jasper and Amethyst got their bikes and caught up with Mala. They headed home in silence, barely muttering a goodbye when Mala turned down their street. 

The girls entered the backyard and Jasper called over her shoulder to her sister, “Make sure you lock the gate, runt!” Amethyst dropped her bike and ran into the house crying. Jasper wasn’t sure what had happened. She locked the gate and picked up her sister’s bike, moving it to the shed before heading inside. Dad was making dinner, but Amethyst had locked herself in her room. 

“Am? Let me in for a minute!” Jasper called outside her sister’s door. After a while, Jasper pulled a clip from her hair and used it to pop the safety button on the door. “I’m coming in Amethyst!” When she entered the room, Amethyst was curled up with her massive stuffed luchador toy, sniffling quietly to herself. Jasper sat on the bed trying to figure out what had upset her sister. “Am?” She said in a small voice. “Why’d you let those kids take your ball?” 

“Because I’m too small to do anything about it!” Amethyst said, her face still pressed into her stuffed toy. 

“If Mala had taken your ball without asking, you would have kicked their butt! And you always fight back when I take your stuff.” Jasper didn’t understand.

“I know,” Amethyst said wiping the stray tears from her eyes. “But I never win against you guys.” 

“Yea, but you still try. You just let those kids take it.” 

“I was too small to stop them. I’m too small to do anything.” Amethyst had started crying again. 

“Who told you that?!” Jasper replied indignantly. 

“They called me a runt and said they were playing there now.” 

“You should have stuck up for yourself!” 

“But they were right,” Amethyst said angrily. “I am a runt. I’m too small to even stand up for myself! You’re always the one who has to do it. I’m always hiding behind my big sister because I’m too little to do things on my own!” 

“Amethyst, that isn’t true! You’re not too small, you’re not a runt …”

“THEN WHY DO YOU ALWAYS CALL ME ONE?!” Jasper stared at her sister. Had she been the one to make Amethyst believe she was too little to stand up for herself? Too little to make a difference? “I can’t do anything. I’m just Jasper’s little sister. I’m nothing on my own, I’m useless.” Jasper grabbed Amethyst by her wrists and pulled her sister towards her. 

“You are NOT useless. Ammy, you’re fun, you play games with me, you teach me cool things about animals. You keep secrets for me, you make me feel better when I’m upset. You’re my sister, Am. What would I ever do without you?” Jasper pulled Amethyst into a hug. “I call you a runt because, I thought that was just what sisters did. They tease each other. But that doesn’t make it okay for other people to call you one. You’re great at so many things. You’re smart and you’re better in science than I am. And you beat me in soccer and baseball. You can do really cool things with our hair. And you make Dad’s family recipes better than I ever could.” Amethyst had slowly begun to stop crying. “Just because you aren’t tall doesn’t mean you aren’t great.” 

“Do you mean that?” Amethyst asked her sister. Jasper nodded as Amethyst hugged her tightly. After Amethyst calmed down she looked up at her sister. “You’re the best sister ever, Jasper. And it’s okay that you call me runt, I kinda like it. But only when you say it.”

Jasper smiled, “Well, you’ll always be my baby sister, runt. Even though you should stand up for yourself. But, I’ll always stand up for you too. I love you.” 

Two weeks later, Jasper happily presented Amethyst with her birthday present. “Open it! Go on!” Amethyst tore through the paper and carefully opened the box. She lifted the figurine out of the packaging. The delicate piece depicted a girl in rollerblades sitting on the ground, while a smaller girl placed a bandage on her knee. Jasper smiled as Amethyst looked at it. “It’s you and me. It’s just like the one you got me, but this time it shows how you’re such a great sister to me.” Amethyst carefully placed it on the table before charging at her sister to hug her. 

\---

Jasper turned to face Garnet. “It’s a figurine Amethyst gave me when she was little. It’s one of the most important things I own, and I broke it. I tried to fix it, but my fingers are too big to put the pieces back.” Jasper sighed. “I’m just so mad! Mostly at myself. Okay, entirely at myself. How could I have left it somewhere it could break? And why can’t I just control my anger so it wouldn’t have broken in the first place? Augghh!!” Jasper hit her hand against the center console. 

“Jay, come on. Calm down,” Garnet said in a low voice. “You didn’t mean to break it. And you do your best with your anger. It’s gotten so much better over the years.” Jasper tipped her head backwards and sighed again. “Amethyst will understand, and I’m sure there’s a way to fix it. I bet if you talk to Amethyst about it you’ll feel better.” 

“I can’t just keep going to Amethyst when I screw up, Garnet. She’s my little sister, I’m supposed to be looking out for her. But aside from that, I can’t admit to her that I broke that figurine. She’s gonna think I’m reckless and didn’t even care about it in the first place! It will be a disaster and she’ll be so upset. I can’t do that to her, it’s …” 

“JASPER!” Jasper’s eyes widened as she looked at Garnet. Garnet hardly ever raised her voice, unlike Jasper and most of her friends who shouted at each other when they were in good moods. Garnet took her sunglasses off and placed her hand over Jasper’s on the center console. “Calm down, you’re going to get yourself seriously worked up over absolutely nothing. Just take a deep breath will you?” Jasper slowly inhaled, staring back at Garnet. “I understand that figurine was incredibly important to you, but it’s not the entirety of your relationship with your sister. And she’s an adult now, she expects you to come to her with problems just like she goes to you with problems.” Garnet sighed before looking back out the windshield. “I know you always want to be the alpha, but … Asking for help, needing help, isn’t weakness. I feel like I’ve been saying this to you since high school.” 

“Because you have,” Jasper replied with a slight grin. “And you’re right. You’re pretty much always right.” Jasper laughed to herself as Garnet smiled. “But, thanks.” 

“No problem.” Garnet paused for a second. “She knows you love her. And she’ll understand that you didn’t break it on purpose.”

“Yea. I’m sure you’re right. Thanks again.”


	6. Chapter 6

Jasper opened the door to Amethyst sprawled on the couch watching TV. “What up?” Amethyst said without looking up. Jasper shook her head. 

“What cha watching?” 

“Uh, it’s Saturday. What do you think I’m watching?!” Jasper pushed Amethyst’s legs off the end of the couch and sat down. 

“This show is stupid,” Jasper said as she curled up on her side of the couch, ready to watch at least an hour of the bad reality show. 

“And yet, every week, here you sit.” She had a point. “Where were you?” Amethyst asked after a while. 

“Swimming,” Jasper said casually. “Uhmm, Am? Can I talk to you about something?” 

“Yeah? Wait, is this one of those conversations I’m gonna need food for?”

“No!” 

“So, yes. Hold on, I’ll be right back.” Amethyst ran to the kitchen while Jasper laid her head against the couch. She wondered how she and Amethyst could be so drastically different. Jasper had an incredibly short fuse while Amethyst was fairly easy going. Amethyst happily ate junk food and watched television for hours while Jasper would rather be out doing something. And yet, for some reason, Jasper still had a deep bond she shared with her sister, one that she wouldn’t trade.

“Hey! Bring me …” 

“A glass of water and an orange?” Amethyst dumped some food onto the table and tossed the orange at Jasper. “I got your number!” She said with a wink as she handed her the glass. Jasper laughed at Amethyst’s impression of Peridot as she began to peel the orange. “So,” Amethyst started as she opened a package of cheese crackers. “What did you want to talk about?” 

“You eat junk,” Jasper said while staring at the television. 

“Yup. But that isn’t what you wanted to talk about,” Amethyst replied. 

“I … broke the figurine you gave me. The two girls and the cookie jar? Last night. I didn’t mean to, I always have it up on the top shelf so that nothing happens to it, but I had taken it down and … I guess I accidently broke it.” Amethyst looked over and saw how sad Jasper looked. 

“Jasp,” she said gently. “It’s not a big deal. We can try to fix it or if it’s really bad I bet I can buy another one.” 

“It is a big deal. It was so important to me, and somehow I allowed it to be smashed.” Amethyst turned off the TV and rested her hand on her sister’s leg. 

“What’s this really about?” Jasper put the remainder of the orange on the table, avoiding eye contact with her sister. What was this really about? The figurine was important to her, but was it important enough to be this upset? Amethyst was right, they could try to fix it or buy another one. But Jasper didn’t want another one, she wanted the one in her room to never have been broken. 

“Nothing. I’m just upset I broke it, that’s all. It’s really important to me.” Amethyst scanned Jasper’s eyes and knew her sister wasn’t telling her the whole truth. 

“Alright, well if you want to lie to me, that’s cool. But don’t think I can’t tell.” She turned the television back on and settled into the couch. The two watched television in silence until Amethyst decided to speak again. “You going out after work tonight?” Amethyst didn’t take her eyes off the television, but she could hear the hesitation in her sister’s voice. 

“Yeah. I mean, I haven’t worked out the details, but I’ll be out with Sugi.” 

“Good,” Amethyst said sarcastically. “Then I’ll take the car since you’re gonna be far too hammered to drive.” She almost regretted the words as they tumbled from her lips, but Jasper knew how Amethyst felt about Sugilite. 

“Where are you going that you need the car?” 

“Shorty squad cards night. I’m gonna clean out Ruby in her own home.” Jasper laughed. “But,” Amethyst said with reservation, “If you need to be picked up or something, call me. Okay? We’ll be out most of the night.” 

“I’ll be fine, runt,” Jasper said. 

“Whatever, you know you two make poor decisions together.” Jasper just rolled her eyes. 

It wasn’t Sugilite that Amethyst had a problem with, it was the trouble Jasper and Sugilite got into when they were together. Jasper had met Sugi during her second semester in college and they were close almost immediately. Since then, the pair had become well known among their classmates and peers at work. Amethyst was often helping Jasper out of the mess she and Sugi got into. Most recently, Amethyst dragged Peridot on a 3-hour road trip to pick them up after they decided to follow a band to their next gig and were stranded the following day. When Jasper was out with Sugilite, Amethyst expected drama. 

\---

 

Amethyst leaned over the bar as she spoke, “So you’re good if I take the car?” Jasper continued putting the glasses away without looking up. 

“Yeah, I’m fine. Take it.” But, instead of heading out, Amethyst just watched. Jasper could feel her sister’s eyes on her and eventually turned around. “What?” 

“Please be careful?” Amethyst said in a low voice. Jasper just nodded and went back to closing out the bar. 

 

Peridot was waiting for Amethyst in the parking lot, deeply engrossed in her smart watch. As they got into the car Peridot spoke up. “What’s with you tonight? You do not seem ready for cards with Sapphire.” Amethyst started the car and pulled out of the of parking lot in silence. “Really, you have to have your head in the game if you’re going to play against her. She _always_ knows what cards you have!” Peridot wasn’t wrong. Sapphire had the best poker strategy among them.

“She only knows _your_ cards because your poker face is weak, P-dot. I’m on my game, I’ll be fine.”

\---

 

Jasper stood outside, smoking a cigarette and checking her phone for the time. Sugi was late, which wasn’t surprising. As Jasper thought about calling her, a dark purple sports car pulled up with the windows rolled down. “How much for the night?” Sugi yelled from the driver’s seat. 

“Go to hell,” Jasper replied as she got into the car. “Where’d you get this pile of crap?” Sugi pulled down her shades and glared at Jasper. 

“Excuse you? THIS is a one of a kind and it’s almost as awesome as I am.” Jasper just rolled her eyes. “Pfftt, fine. Get out.” 

“Oh come one Sug. I’m sorry. It’s nice, when’d you get it?” Sugi glared at Jasper but decided she would rather gloat over her new car. 

“Last week. I’ve been saving for one like it forever. My cousin found it and told me about it. I scraped together the last of the cash and bought it.” Sugi winked before pushing her shades up again. 

“It’s a nice car Sug. Congrats.” Jasper leaned back into the seat as Sugi headed out towards the highway. 

“So, what are we doing tonight?” 

“Don’t care. Just don’t wanna be here.” Sugilite glanced towards Jasper before replying. 

“You’re the boss.” 

\---

Amethyst placed her cards down with a shrug. “I’m out.” 

Peridot shook her head furiously. “I’m certain you must be bluffing, Sapphire.” Ruby and Amethyst just laughed. A flash on her phone caught the corner of her eye and Amethyst gestured towards the screen. The text icon with Jasper’s contact image came up and Amethyst picked up her phone. 

“Shit,” She mumbled to herself. “Uh, Ruby? Can you give P-dot a ride home? I’ve gotta deal with something.” 

“Now?” Ruby and Peridot said at the same time. Amethyst grabbed her stuff and headed towards the door. 

“Yeah. Now.” 

 

Amethyst pulled up to the location Jasper had texted her and parked. She knew better than to get out of the car, she just turned it off and waited. A few minutes later Jasper came out of one of the apartments on the street and got into the passenger’s seat. Amethyst took a deep breath and tried to keep herself together as she started the car and they drove out of the neighborhood in silence. 

Not long after, they pulled into a large mall parking lot. Amethyst drove to the most desolate corner she could find before putting the car in park and cutting the engine. She turned to her sisters and her look might have pierced Jasper’s soul if she was willing to look back. 

“What the fuck Jasper? What the actual fuck?” Jasper had broken her nose enough times for Amethyst to be one hundred percent positive it was once again broken. The bleeding had stopped, but Amethyst imagined not before drenching Jasper’s clothing, which explained why she was wearing one of Sugi’s high school sweatshirts. Amethyst glanced over her sister in the darkened car and saw the bandaged wrapped around Jasper’s forearm and the bruise forming at her cheekbone. 

“It was nothing,” Jasper mumbled. 

“Try again,” Amethyst replied sharply. 

“What do you even care?” 

“You’re my goddamn sister, Jasper!” Amethyst could feel herself starting to shake but she didn’t care. “What the fuck were you and Sugi up to? And why the hell did it end with you having a broken nose?” When Jasper didn’t answer, Amethyst continued. “It’s every fucking time with you two. Every time you and Sugi go out something happens. Do you seek her out when you want to get fucked up or do you just have shitty tastes in friends?”

“Fuck you,” Jasper spit angrily. “It’s not like you’re doing any better.”

“My nose isn’t broken, asshole.” 

“I can fix that,” Jasper sneered. Amethyst clenched her jaw and used everything she had not to retaliate. While she wanted to give Jasper a black eye to match her bruised cheekbone, she reminded herself Jasper was her sister and obviously having a difficult night. Plus, mall security would eventually come by and Amethyst knew they would just call the police on them if they were still fighting. They needed somewhere to go. Home was out of the question; Amethyst was not interested in making this a whole family argument. Instead, she sat in the car staring out the window. 

Almost as quickly as it came, Amethyst’s anger drained out of her. She couldn’t keep up a sustained fight with Jasper. It wasn’t in her. She pulled out her phone and sent a text to her cousin. Luckily, she was home and willing to let Amethyst and Jasper drop by for the night. Amethyst started the car and left the mall in silence. 

 

When they arrived, Skinny was waiting at the door. “Damn,” Skinny mumbled as she shook her head. Jasper avoided eye contact while Amethyst pushed her through the door. 

“Hey, you got an icepack for Jasp? And thanks for letting us come by,” Amethyst said after giving Skinny a hug. 

“Sure, check the bathroom under the sink.” Amethyst headed off to the bathroom while Jasper and Skinny sat down in the small living room. “What the fuck’d you do?” Skinny asked her cousin as she flopped into an arm chair. Amethyst returned and sprawled out on the couch. 

“Yeah Jasper, care to tell us both what the hell happened?” Jasper tipped her head back and rested it against the back of the arm chair she occupied. Her anger had also dissipated and she was starting to form a headache. 

“Sugi drank too much and picked a fight with me over her stupid new car. I jokingly referred to it as a pile of crap and she swung at me. I was drunk, but not nearly as drunk as she was.” Amethyst activated the cold pack and wrapped it in a towel before leaning over and handing it to Jasper.

“You still put up with Sugi’s shit?” Skinny asked as she headed into the kitchen. 

“You still put up with Pearl’s?” Jasper snapped. 

Skinny returned with a glass of water and some painkillers and put them on the side table next to her cousin. “Careful, she’s asleep upstairs and you don’t seem ready for round two.” She pressed two fingers between Jasper’s eyes and quickly pulled them away when Jasper yelped. “Is it broken?” 

“Yup,” Amethyst answered from across the room. “What is this Jasp? Number 6?” Jasper just huffed angrily. Amethyst watched her sister hold the ice pack over her face and suddenly had another concern. “Do you have a concussion? Or did she only break your nose?”

“I’m fine,” Jasper sighed. “And Sugi didn’t break my nose, some other drunk asshole did. He wanted to join the fight.” 

Skinny put her hand on Jasper’s shoulder. “Just relax okay? You can crash here.”

As they settled back into the living room, Amethyst looked towards her cousin. “So how are you doing?” 

“Great actually. Things with Pearl are good and I just go a promotion at my job so, yeah.” 

“How are your parents?” Amethyst said in a softer voice. Amethyst’s aunt and uncle weren’t very happy when Skinny told them she was trans. It’s something their family doesn’t talk about much. 

“Ah, they’re alright. They made it pretty clear they don’t want me at certain family events, but they still invite me and Pearl over sometimes. Good thing I’m a lesbian.” Skinny giggled to herself. “Can you imagine if I was a straight girl? They’d never get over it. How about you? How’s your dad?” 

“He’s good. You and Pearl should stop by sometime. He’d be really happy to see you.” They caught up for a little longer before Amethyst began to yawn. 

“Yeah, it’s time to head to bed. You’re welcome to the couch and the guest room.” Amethyst hugged her cousin again before bidding her goodnight. 

 

When Jasper and Amethyst were settled into the guest bedroom, Amethyst tried her luck getting Jasper to talk again. “What happened Jasp?” Amethyst’s voice was gentle but Jasper still cringed. 

“We went out drinking. It was my idea, sort of. I wanted to get away from home and Sugi wanted to drink. She drank way too much and suddenly she got really angry with me. She started a fight and … I had it under control until this guy decided he needed to protect her from me. I managed to get her to her sister’s place and she bandaged my arm and got my nose to stop bleeding. Sugi passed out, I’m sure she won’t remember anything.” 

“Pain killers kick in yet?” 

Jasper gingerly touched her forehead. “Yeah, it’s just dull pain. I’ll be alright.” 

Amethyst rubbed her sister’s back reassuringly. “Get some sleep.”


End file.
